Thursday – Twenty-eighth week – OT1

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Thursday – Twenty-eighth week – OT1

 

Readings: Rom 3:21-30; Lk 11:47-54.

Reading 1: RSV Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it, 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction; 23 since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins; 26 it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies him who has faith in Jesus. 27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On the principle of works? No, but on the principle of faith. 28 For we hold that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of their faith and the uncircumcised through their faith.

 

Gospel (Lk 11:47-54): The Lord said:
“Woe to you who build the memorials of the prophets whom your fathers killed.
Consequently, you bear witness and give consent
to the deeds of your ancestors,
for they killed them and you do the building.
Therefore, the wisdom of God said,
“I will send to them prophets and Apostles;
some of them they will kill and persecute”
that this generation might be charged
with the blood of all the prophets
shed since the foundation of the world,
from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah
who died between the altar and the temple building.
Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood!
Woe to you, scholars of the law!
You have taken away the key of knowledge.
You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.”
When Jesus left, the scribes and Pharisees began to act with hostility toward him and to interrogate him about many things,
for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.


I. THEME: The Law has no power to justify us.

            One of the main topics which Jesus and St. Paul often argued with the Jews is the role of the Law in God’s plan of salvation. Many Jews have believed they can become righteous by keeping carefully the Law. Jesus and St. Paul said the Law cannot justify poeple, because no one can keep perfectly the Law. To become righteous, all people, Jews and Gentiles, need to believe in Christ. If the Law has power to justify, God did not need to send His Son to the world to redeem and to justify people.             

            Today readings would like us to recognize human imperfection in keeping God’s Law. In the first reading, St. Paul gave us his observation: having the Law or not, both the Jews and the Gentiles, have sinned; therefore, to have salvation, all must believe in Christ: “Now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, though testified to by the law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.” In the Gospel, Jesus accused the scribes who misused the Law to seize and to kill prophets whom God continuously sent to people. They also used their laws to bend the truth and to prevent people to come to God.

II. ANALYSIS:

1/ Reading I: People are justified by their faith in Jesus Christ.

1.1/ Both the Jews and the Gentiles must believe in Jesus Christ: After presented on the Gentiles’ sins (Rom 1:18-32) and the Jews’ sins, St. Paul concluded that both have been governed by sins and need to believe in Christ to be justified. He said: “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it, 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction; 23 since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 they are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith” (Rom 3:21-25).

            To give an illustration of the law, Paul used Genesis 15:6: “Abraham believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness” (Rom 4:3). Paul also explained God’s promise with Abraham about his descendants will be many as stars in heaven and as sand on seashore. This promise can only be fulfilled by the faith in Christ: All who believe in Christ are Abraham descendants because Christ belongs also to Abraham’s linear (Rom 4:18-25). To give an illustration of the prophets, Paul used Habbakuk: “The righteous lives by his faith” (Hab 2:4).

            To protect God’s righteousness, He has to punish sinners; and to save sinners from death, Christ was sent to die in the place of people to reconcile them to God. St. Paul explained: “They are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His divine forbearance he had passed over former sins; 26 it was to prove at the present time that He himself is righteous and that He justifies him who has faith in Jesus.”

1.2/ St. Paul argued with the Jews about two things:

            (1) The role of the Law: The Jews are proud of the Law which God gave to them through Moses; but the Law is only useful for them when they keep it. If they don’t keep it, the Law will become the proof to accuse them. St. Paul asked them: “Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On the principle of works? No, but on the principle of faith. 28 For we hold that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law.”

            (2) God’s salvation plan: Jewish people were chosen by God before the Gentiles to prepare for the coming of Christ; when Christ comes, salvation is opened to all people because all are God’s children. St. Paul continued to ask: “Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of their faith and the uncircumcised through their faith.”

2/ Gospel: The Pharisees and the scribes destroyed the truth in the name of their laws.

2.1/ They used their law to kill prophets and apostles: Jesus accused the scribes: “Woe to you who build the memorials of the prophets whom your fathers killed. Consequently, you bear witness and give consent to the deeds of your ancestors, for they killed them and you do the building.”

            They only paid respect to prophets when they died; but persecuted them when they were living. God, out of His compassion, always sent His prophets to call people to repent and to come back to Him; but the scribes always opposed, persecuted, and killed them. Jesus said to them: “Therefore, the wisdom of God said, “I will send to them prophets and Apostles; some of them they will kill and persecute,” that this generation might be charged with the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who died between the altar and the temple building. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood!”

            A particular example for this happened when Jesus is saying these words to them: they are looking to seize Jesus, the Prophet of all prophets, as the Gospel told us: “When Jesus left, the scribes and Pharisees began to act with hostility toward him and to interrogate him about many things, for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.”  

2.2/ The scribes used their law to bend the truth: Jesus accused them, “Woe to you, scholars of the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.” The law’s purpose is to protect justice to all; they used the law to maltreat people and to take away others’ properties. The law’s purpose is to bring people close to God; they used the law to make people to run away from God. The law’s purpose is to bring happiness to people; the way they explained the law made people to feel irritated and burden.

           

III. APPLICATION IN LIFE:                    

            – God’s laws are good and can bring people to happiness if we live according to them. But we are weak and cannot keep them perfectly. This is the reason why we need Christ and his grace.

            – We must respect, live and witness for the truth. We should not despise or persecute anyone who live and witness for the truth.

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